Black Blood
by Meatball42
Summary: All I ever wanted was to fly.


There was Creation. Mighty swift strong machines built _me_, welded and forced and screwed and Made _me_. There was Life. They fitted in _my_ engine,_my_ Center. Then they gave _me_ a Mind.

_I_ did not stay at the birthplace for long. _I_ was shiny, sturdy, young. The juices of _my_ Creation burned in _my_ Body, reaching up to the dark deep Everywhere. Master saw that in _me_. Master thought, 'This. This is the One.'

And they Bought _me_.

They Loaded _me_ full of Goods: Food and Medicine and Machines and Passengers and animals. (_I_ do not like the animals.) Master's Crew cleaned _me_and maintained _my_ Center and healed _me_ if _I_ was ill. But _my_ Mind the Crew did not care for. They told _me_ how to fly, flew _me_ so that _I_ could not fly free. Still, they were not cruel. They could not hear _me_ when _I_ asked them why. We flew to many Places, flew steady and safe and long and Crew was happy and Master was happy and _I_ was happy.

Then, new Master. New Master pushed _me_, told _me_ to fly faster, carry More. _I_ was young and strong and _I_ could always carry Anything, but now there was Too Much and _I_ strained. The skies were not racetracks anymore, not Everywhere. There was no more adventure, only dragging, Center squeezing, Mind aching under Master's curses and never, never enough rest. The Crew cleaned _me_, repaired _me_. They Cared for _me_, _I_ think, but _I_became very very tired.

Before, _I_ could carry Anything. After, _I_ could carry nothing. Master drew a course for a Graveyard Planet and then _I_ was Alone.

_I_ was Alone for long long Long. There were Others, rusted broken hopeless never-hoped Others, who did not miss the Everywhere, the black. They did not want to talk to _me_. They wanted to Sleep, Sleep until they could do nothing but Sleep. _I_ never wanted to Sleep. _I_ only wanted to fly again.

A Man came. He was not a Master. He told the Others to Wake, to do as he said. He forced them to fly again, slow tired hopeless Others that did not want to fly. He gave them colors and New Parts, flashy but weak, and the Others knew that when they were Bought, they would not fly long, they would Sleep, they and their Crews and their Masters. The Man tried to Change _me_ that way, so _I_ would be pretty shiny outside but old fake Sleepy on the inside, _I_ would not Let him. _I_ did not Let him.

The Others were bought. Masters saw that they looked bright fast sturdy, and the Man told them the Others were young and ready. Masters bought the old Others who only wanted to sleep, and _I_ remained, old and worn and wanting the black, the fires of _my_ Creation not yet gone out.

But _I_ was getting Sleepy.

Captain saved _me_. _I_ was very very Sleepy when Captain came. The Man wanted to sell him an Other, shiny New Parts fake, but Captain saw _me_. He bought _me_ and he looked at _me_ and he thought, 'This. This is the One.'

Captain always Believed in _me_. His Crew was small, but it Grew, and they Cared for _me_. _I_ have had many Crews, but this Crew was so Alive. They did not just fly to sell and buy and make Money and get Things, they flew to Live, like _me_. They wanted to fly, and some of them were very like _me_.

There was a FlyingMan, a Man who was like _me_ on the inside; he wanted to fly. He Let _me_ Fly. He could not Speak to _my_ Mind, but he knew _I_ could hear him, and he Let _me_ Fly free. He did not just Tell _me_ where and how to fly: we Flew Together. Finally, _I_ was the _Master_ of the Black.

Then there was a EngineWoman. She was not Made like _I_ was, but she Touched _my_ Center as though she knew how _I_ was Made. She Touched _me_ and spoke to _me_ like _I_ was Of Her. She could not Speak to _me_, but she Cared for _me_, and _I_ for her.

MindGirl was Special. She was like the Others, shiny broken tired Sleepy, but she was like _me_, too: she did not want to Sleep. She wanted to be Alive. She could Speak to _me_, she could Hear _me_ when _I_ Spoke back. Sometimes, when her Mind was Asleep but she was not, she would Say things to no one but _me_, and _I_ would Sing to her. Before she Came, _I_ did not know how to Sing.

_I_ have had many Crews, but this Crew was so Alive. All of them, like _me_, were broken or lonely or Sleepy when they Came to _me_. Some had been given colors and New Parts but were still hurt on the inside, but _I_ Took them inside _me_ and _I_ Cared for them and They Are Mine.

And _I_ will never Let Them Go.


End file.
